Behavioral science最新文献

When human psychological performance is viewed in terms of cognitive modules, our species displays remarkable differences in computational power. Algorithmically simple computations are generally difficult to perform, whereas optimal routing or „Traveling Salesman”︁ Problems (TSP) of far greater complexity are solved on an everyday basis. It is argued that even „simple”︁ instances of TSP are not purely Euclidian problems in human computations, but involve emotional, autonomic, and cognitive constraints. They therefore require a level of parallel processing not possible in a macroscopic system to complete the algorithm within a brief period of time. A microscopic neurobiological model emphasizing the computational power of excited atoms within the neuronal membrane is presented as an alternative to classical connectionist approaches. The evolution of the system is viewed in terms of specific natural selection pressures driving satisfying computations toward global optimization. The relationship of microscopic computation to the nature of consciousness is examined, and possible mathematical models as a basis for simulation studies are briefly discussed.

Negotiation is a process of communication between and among individuals, groups, organizations, communities, societiess, and supranational systems with the purpose of reaching agreement about certain joint or reciprocal acts. Existing models of the negotiation process, based on game theory, communication theory, economic theory, exchange theory, power theory, and political theory, tend to focus on individual decision-makers and their outcomes. This article presents a model of negotiation as an emergent process of living systems. From a living systems perspective, negotiation is a joint decision-making process that results in a new or modified template for an agreed system of interaction. Various kinds of agreed systems, both living and nonliving, are analyzed. Negotiation is shown to be part of the reproducer process whereby groups, organizations, communities, societies, and supranational systems are born.

Continuous information processing is essential for any living system. A living system's chance of surviving is predicted by its ability to process information. Miller (1978) is one of the advocates of this idea. To investigate what happens when the amount of input information to a single channel is gradually increased, one experiment was carried out at two levels—organism and group—of living systems

Human subjects were instructed to solve simple mathematical problems in a given time interval. The time interval was decreased for each successive exposure which meant that the information input rate (bits per second) increased. The output rate was also identified. The subjects were male and female university students, who took part in a four-year study program in systems science, who had an age range from 20 to 29. The number of samples at the organism level were 7 and at the group level 5. I expected, according to Miller's theory, the output rate to increase at first but after a while to become constant. I also expected the groups to have a lower channel capacity than the organisms

The study indicated that the possible output rate is dependent on the living system's emotional reactions. A state of confusion occurred, at both levels, when the input rate reached a critical level. The output rate, at both levels, increased slowly after the state of confusion which agrees with the expected result, namely that the output rate after a while becomes constant The information processing issue might be more complex and full of nuances than was conceptualized by Miller.

Some basic terms in chaos theory are reviewed and some of their broad possible implications for Galilean science are briefly discussed. The main conclusion is that there are regions of scientific research within which the Galilean Principles of Model Building, the extensive use of prediction for refining and testing, do not apply. Some consequences are explored, notably that while social science may be possible, social engineering is a much more dubious enterprise.